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Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil could leave Arsenal, admits Arsene Wenger with pair locked in contract talks

Arsenal boss could give no assurances the star duo would sign new deals at the Emirates

ARSENE WENGER has admitted he cannot guarantee star men Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez will stay at Arsenal.

The Gunners boss warned the contract rebels he will not be held to ransom over their £300,000-a-week wage demands.

Alexis Sanchez is locked in contract extension talks at Arsenal
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Alexis Sanchez is locked in contract extension talks at ArsenalCredit: PA:Press Association

Both players’ Emirates deals are up in 2018 and neither has agreed a new one yet.

Wenger confessed: “I can’t give any assurances. Eighteen months is a long time in football.

“Arsenal is a big club. It is not one or two players who will make the difference to the club.

“What is important is always to take care of the values of the club and not to depend too much on one or two players.

“The history of Arsenal is bigger than that.”

Chile striker Sanchez has an astonishing £400,000-a-week offer to move to China, while Real Madrid are keen on German Ozil returning to Spain.

Mesut Ozil is also yet to sign a new deal with the Gunners
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Mesut Ozil is also yet to sign a new deal with the GunnersCredit: Getty Images
The duo will likely cost Arsenal more than £150m in wages to keep
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The duo will likely cost Arsenal more than £150m in wages to keepCredit: Getty Images

Wenger said: “We have a lot of work to do but they have 18 months left and are completely committed.

“They will stay for 18 months and, hopefully, much longer.

“We will try to extend their contracts.

“The less you talk about it the better it is.

Arsene Wenger admits the duo could leave the Emirates
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Arsene Wenger admits the duo could leave the EmiratesCredit: Reuters

“We live in a world where Sanchez and Ozil have a lot of money and choose where they play.

“We will do the maximum of what we can for every single player.”

Wenger did reveal, however, that talks with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud are going well.

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